About “​good kid”

This song kicks off good kid, m.A.A.d city’s back half, depicting the immediate aftermath of K.Dot getting jumped by two guys in hoodies at the end of the previous track, “Poetic Justice.” This sets off the album’s theme of realization, ultimately steeling Kendrick’s resolve to get out of the hood.

Obviously that’s easier said than done, as Kendrick delves into the negative effects of gang-culture and being racially profiled by police, who prove to be no help; K.Dot’s trials in the first two verses are reminiscent of Tre’s in the 1991 film Boyz n the Hood, who was harassed by gangsters for being a good kid and police officers for being black.

This is one half of the album’s title tracks, followed by “m.A.A.d city,” which continues this song’s narrative.